WITH less than a month to go until entries close for the Ox Tales writing competition, author Frances Hardinge has encouraged young writers to put pen to paper on their short stories.

The children’s writer is one of the judges for the competition, which gives 11- to 14-year-olds the chance to win book vouchers and have their work published in the Oxford Mail.

Ms Hardinge, who lived in Oxford from 1992 until 2012 before moving to West London, said Oxfordshire is full of ideas to inspire writers young and old.

She said: “I am a sucker for historic settings or fantasy settings which are set in historical contexts.

“The stories will introduce me to parts of Oxfordshire I have not been to.

“The criteria for the stories is nice and broad – the participants get to describe what is important to them and why.

“Being able to write and find the confidence to write is a really powerful thing.

“It is about putting your unique view out in the world. I could not have dedicated my life to writing if it was not fun.”

Along with Ms Hardinge, the stories will be judged by representatives from the National Literacy Trust (NLT), the Oxford Mail and Oxfordshire County Council.

The winner will claim a £50 book voucher and £250 of books for their school.

There are also book vouchers for the runner-up, third place and 20 commended entries.

Ms Hardinge said youngsters entering the competition would be crafting their own tales at a similar time in their lives to when she started writing full-length stories.

She said: “I have a short story from when I was six.

“The first time I wrote a full-length story was when I was 13.

“It was not very good but no writing is wasted. It is a stepping stone towards finding your own voice.”

Pupils who enter the competition must be at schools which are taking part in the Oxfordshire Gaining Momentum programme.

They have until 5pm on January 8 to submit their entries, which should be about a place in Oxfordshire which means something special to them.

The winner will also have a chance to visit the Oxford Mail offices for a tour.

Ms Hardinge, who has written seven novels including The Lie Tree and Cuckoo Song, said the benefits of writing went beyond simply creating stories for others to enjoy.

She said: “Writing is really good for your confidence . Writing is something which gives you independence and power.”

HOW TO ENTER
Entrants must be pupils at a school currently participating in the Oxfordshire Gaining Momentum scheme.

Students must be aged between 11 and 14 years old at the time of entry.

Stories should be up to 500 words about a place in Oxfordshire that pupils feel strongly about. The writing should be produced individually, word processed and clearly labelled with the entrant’s full name and school name.

Teachers must complete a form along with any entries they submit. 

Forms are available to download at literacytrust.org.uk/oxfordshire_gaining_momentum/ox-tales

Entries can either be emailed to amber.finch@literacytrust.org.uk or posted to Amber Finch, Ox Tales, National Literacy Trust, 68 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1RL. 

The competition closes at 5pm on Friday January 8, 2016. Entry is completely free.

THE PRIZES
* Winner: £50 book voucher plus £250 worth of titles for their school library
* Second place: £30 book voucher
* Third place: £20 book voucher
* Twenty commendable entries: £5 book token each
* Teacher who submits the most valid entries: £10 book token.
A selection of entries will be printed in the Oxford Mail and all entrants will receive a certificate.